Corset or like garment



Oct. 22, 1940" 1. R. vERsoY CORSET 0R LIKE GARMENT Filed May 27, 1939Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES CORSET R LIKE GARllIENT Irving R.Versoy, New Haven, Conn, assignor to The Berger Brothers Company, NewHaven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application May 27, 1939,Serial No. 276,033

Claims.

This invention relates to corsets, girdles or the like, and moreespecially to a garment of this type which is designed to properlysupport the abdomen of the wearer and exert a compressing 5 action uponcertain portions of the body, While at the same time permitting theutmost freedom of movement for the wearer, and which garment willpossess great flexibility and at the same time lie flatly upon the bodyso that there will be no unsightly projections or undue thickness atcertain portions of the garment, particularly where seams occur betweenone section of the garment and an adjacent section.

The corset illustrated is a front-lace corset, but it will be understoodthat variation in this respect may be resorted to, and the improvementsare applicable to a back-lace corset as Well. The illustrated garmentemploys a relatively wide section of elastic fabric at the lower portionthereof, so as to give freedom of movement of the limbs of the wearer.In the use of material of this character, and particularly when asection of considerable size is employed, it is necessary to provide amaterial of sufficient rigidity and firmness to give the requiredsupport and confinement. With the use of an elastic webbing sufiicientlyheavy for this purpose, some disadvantages have been present, in that aheavy elastic fabric is coarse and bulky, and necessitates a relativelyheavy and thick seam where it joins the fabric portion of the garment.Moreover, it also requires a relatively thick and heavy selvage edge atthe lower portion of the garment, and some difficulty has in the pastbeen encountered in securing the hose supporters directly to the elasticfabric where it was used at the bottom edge of the garment,

In the present garment there is used a relatively large lower section ofelastic fabric, which fabric is, however, relatively fine and soft.Sufficient firmness, strength and rigidity is secured by doubling thissoft fabric upon itself so that a two-ply elastic section results, withthe folded edge along the bottom line of the garment. This obviates thenecessity of a heavy selvage edge, but the double edge at the lowerportion of the garment provides a strong support for the hosesupporters. At the same time the upper edges of the double or two-plyelastic fabric may be disposed in stepped or offset relation so that atapering seam results where the elastic fabric joins the non-elasticportion of the garment, thus avoiding a thick, abruptly ending seam,which is disadvantageous for several reasons. Although not limited inthis respect, the two-ply elastic fabric section employed may be formedof twoway stretch webbing so that it will be extensible both verticallyand horizontally of the body of the wearer.

One object of the invention is to provide a cor- 5 set, girdle or thelike of novel construction, which will employ a relatively wide sectionof elastic fabric at the lower portion of the garment, which elasticsection is so constructed that it may be made of relatively light, softma- 10 terial, while at the same time having sufiicient strength andbody to provide the proper confinement of the flesh of the wearer, andwill be so joined with the other portions of thegarment that no heavy,abruptly ending seams will result. 15

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a corset ofthe character described having a relatively wide elastic section at thelower portion thereof, the section being formed of a two-ply elasticfabric with its doubled edge 20 at the lower edge of the garment, andwith the upper edges thereof in stepped relation so as to make a seamwhich tapers upwardly to a relatively thin edge.

A still further object of the invention is the 25 provision of a garmentof the character described in which certain of the stays of the garmentare disposed in a stay section or panel concealed within the garment,the panel being so connected with the adjoining sections of the garmentas to 30 avoid bulky seams and to cause the garment to present a smoothexterior appearance.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. 35

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a corset or girdle illustrating. my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the inside of'the garment in extended position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a face view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 3, showingthe stepped edges of the upper portion of the elastic fabric section ofthe garment; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig, 2.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown agarment of the girdle type which comprises a rear section it having sidesections 1 l and I2 joined to the edges thereof and extending forwardlytherefrom. To the forward edge of each of the side sections El and i2 issecured a front panel, these panels being numbered l3 and M, and whichas shown are provided with eyelets to receive laces 5 to secure thesepanels together. It will be understood that this front-lace garment isshown for purposes of illustration rather than limitation, and thatother means may be employed to secure the front panels together, andalso the improvements may be employed in garments other than those ofthe frontlace type.

The side sections II and I2 are similarly constructed, and each consistsof three parts, a description of one of which sections will suffice for'both. It may be noted that each of these sections comprises a fabricportion l6 secured at its rear edge to the back section l2, and adjacentthe region of the back section extending from the top edge of thegarment downwardly. This portion of the garment, however, is shorterthan the rear section, and tapers toward the front edge so as to leave aconsiderable space between the back section and the rear edge of thefront panel M, for example. This space is filled by a portion formed inthe illustrated garment of two-way stretch elastic fabric of twoplythickness, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

It will also be noted that the portion 16 of the side section is roughlyin the shape of a rhombus, and tapers sharply toward the front edge atthe upper portion of the garment, so as to leave a space filled by atriangular gore it! of elastic material. Intermediate the front and rearedges ofthe portion I6 is a stay seam l9, which stay seam, it may benoted. extends from the upper edge of the garment to the seam 20, wherethe elastic fabric portion I! joins the nonelastic portion I6, but doesnot extend into the elastic portion H. It may be here stated that asshown all of the portions of the garment are of non-elastic materialwith the exception of the sections I1 and I8.

As shown more especially in Fig. 3, the portion I! of the garment isformed of elastic webbing doubled upon itself so as to provide a portionof two-ply thickness, as indicated at 2| and 22. The material is doubledupon itself, as shown at 23, so that the doubled edge forms the loweredge of the garment at the sides thereof, and, as shown, extends fromthe lower eage of the rear section Ill to the lower edge of one of thefront panels 3 or M, as the case maybe. The provision of the a two-plyelastic fabric section, formed by folding the material upon itself andarranging the folded edge at the bottom of the garment, provides for afirm, strong elastic fabric section, and at the same time enables theuse of a relatively light soft fabric which will be comfortable to thewearer and have relatively easy extensibility, while at the same time itwill give the required strength and firmness. The doubled edge being atthe bottom of the garment will offer a relatively strong, firm edge towhich the hose supporters 24, for example, may be directly secured, andthis will obviate the use at this point of a heavy selvage edge or anytape binding or the like.

As shown in Fig. 3, at the upper edge the plies of the elastic fabricare stepped, as at 25 and 25, the outer ply 2|, or that closest to theportion it of the garment, extending upwardly a greater distance thanthe ply 22. The upper edges of the plies 2i and 22 are stitch-ed or sewnto the fabric section l6, and may be covered by a binding 21, which may,as shown in Fig. 3, be a piece of tape or the like secured to portion l6and brought downwardly over the upper edges 25 and 26 of the elasticsection and there again secured. The stepping of the edges provides forthe tapering upwardly of the seam at the junction of the portions l6 andIl to a relatively thin edge, so as to avoid an abrupt offset at thispoint, and to render the garment not only more comfortable to thewearer, but also more slightly in appearance. It may also be noted thatthe section I1 is entirely free of stays, so that its ability to stretchor extend is not limited in either direction, but extends over theentire length and width thereof.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the back section I0 is also composed of twoportions, namely, an outer portion 30, and an inner or stay panel 3|.This stay panel is disposed interiorly of the garment, as shown in Fig.2, and is secured to the back section ID at its upper edge, and at itsside edges, but is left free at its lower edge 32, and is slightlyshorter than the back portion 30. When the lower edge of the stay panel3| is left loose in this manner, it is enabled to assume its ownposition to some extent within the garment, and thus avoid wrinkling, asmight be the case if it were secured to the back portion 3|] at all fouredges.

The seams between the back section l0 and the side sections are alsoarranged so that they will be tapered in thickness and not have anabrupt edge. This is shown more especially in Fig. 5, where, as will benoted, the edge of the stay section 3| terminates at a line 3P short ofthe turned edge 30 of the portion 30, so that the stitching 33 whichsecures the side portion It to the member 30 extends through these twoportions of the garment, and not through the turned edge of the staypanel 3|. This provides a stepped relation of the turned edges of themembers 30 and 3|, so that they will taper to a relatively thin edgeupon the outside of the member I6, and avoid bulkiness at this point,and give the garment a smooth appearance externally.

Disposed interiorly of the garment at the junction of the rear sectionI0 and side sections l2 are a pair of stay pockets 35 and 36, which staypockets may be constructed in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 5. Iprefer, however, to use a stay 31 in only one of these pockets, the staybeing located in the pocket most remote from the edge of the portions 30and 3|, as the least number of plies of material occur at this point.The additional number of plies of material necessary at the position ofthe other stay pocket will approximately make up for the extra thicknessof the stay 31, so that the completed garment will be of substantiallythe same thickness at each of these pockets.

The garment shown in the present application is of the type illustratedin my Patent No. 1,636,023, dated July 19, 1927, but the present garmentcontains many. features of improvement over the garment shown in thatpatent. It will be obvious that in the present garment I have devisedone which will be devoid of thick, abrupt- 1y ending seams, and also onewherein the lower portion of the garment may be made of a relativelysoft, flexible elastic material, and still have the required firmnessand strength.

While I have shown and described a pre-' ferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all ofthe details shown, but is capable of modificacation and variation withinthe spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A corset comprising a back section, a pair of front panels, means forsecuring said front panels together, a side section interposed betweenthe back section and each of the front panels, and the edges of suchsections being substantially co-extensive in length with the adjacentedges of the back section and front panels to which they are secured,each of said side sections comprising an upper non-elastic fabricportion and a lower portion of two-way stretch elastic fabric ofrelatively light weight, said last-named portion extending entirelyacross the side section below the non-elastic fabric portion thereof,and comprising a piece of elastic fabric folded upon itself to provide atwo-ply portion with the fold line at the lower edge thereof, and hosesupporters secured directly to said folded edge of the elastic fabricand supported solely thereby, the upper edge of said upper sectiontapering sharply downwardly adjacent the front panel and having atriangular gore of elastic material between said tapering edge and thefront panel.

2. A corset comprising a back section, a pair of front panels, means forsecuring said front panels together, a side section interposed betweenthe back section and each of the front panels, and the edges of suchsections being substantially co-extensive in length with the adjacentedges of the back section and front panels to which they are secured,each of said side sections comprising an upper non-elastic fabricportion and a lower portion of two-way stretch elastic fabric ofrelatively light weight, said last-named portion extending entirelyacross the side section below the non-elastic fabric portion thereof,and comprising a piece of elastic fabric folded upon itself to provide atwo-ply portion with the fold line at the lower edge thereof, and hosesupporters secured directly to said folded edge of the elastic fabricand supported solely thereby, the upper edges of the plies of saidelastic fabric being spaced vertically in stepped relation to taper theedge of said fabric where it joins the upper non-elastic portion of theside section.

3. A corset comprising a back section, a pair of front panels, means forsecuring said front panels together, a side section interposed betweenthe back section and each of the front panels, and the edges of suchsections being substantially co-extensive in length with the adjacentedges of the back section and front panels to which they are secured,each of said side sections comprising an upper non-elastic fabricportion and a lower portion of two-way stretch elastic fabric ofrelatively light Weight, said last-named portion extending entirelyacross the side section below the non-elastic fabric portion thereof,and comprising a piece of elastic fabric folded upon itself to provide atwoply portion with the fold line at the lower edge thereof, hosesupporters secured directly to said folded edge of the elastic fabricand supported solely thereby the upper edges of the plies of saidelastic fabric being spaced vertically in stepped relation to taper theedge of said fabric where it joins the upper non-elastic portion of theside section, and a stay member extending downwardly from the top edgeof the garment at an intermediate portion of each side section butterminating at the lower edge of the nonelastic portion thereof wherebysaid elastic portion is free from stiffening means.

4. A corset having a back section, side sections secured thereto, andfront panels secured to said side sections, means for securing saidfront panels together, said back section having a stay panel securedinteriorly thereto at its side edges, the edge portions of said backsection being folded over to embrace the edges of the stay panel, andthe edges of the latter being spaced inwardly from the edges of the backsection to provide a stepped relationship of the plies of material atthe sides of the back section and present relatively thin edges at thejunction of the back section with the side sections.

5. A corset having a back section, side sections secured thereto, andfront panels secured to said side sections, means for securing saidfront panels together, said back section having a stay panel securedinteriorly thereto at its side edges, the edge portions of said backsection being folded over to embrace the edges of the stay panel, theedges of the latter being spaced inwardly from the edges of the backsection to provide a stepped relationship of the plies of material atthe sides of the back section and present relatively thin edges at thejunction of the back section with the side sections, and said stay panelbeing secured at its top edge to the back section but left freetherefrom at its lower edge, and the lower edge of said stay panelterminating above the lower edge of the back section.

DRVING R. VERSOY.

